The UC San Francisco department of psychiatry is enrolling post menopausal women for a clinical trial that examines the effects of prescribing the hormone DHEA on sex drive, mood, memory, strength and other areas that often suffer because of a decline in natural DHEA levels as women age.
DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is a popular hormone used by millions of Americans that, up until now, has not been subject to rigorous scientific study, said Louann Brizendine, MD, principal investigator of the study and director of the UCSF Women's Mood and Hormone Clinic. Before 1994, DHEA was prescription only. Now it's sold over the counter as a nutritional supplement. "Lately, this compound has become very interesting to people looking for ways to improve sexual function, strength and memory in women," she said. "There has been a lot of hype in the last six years about DHEA, but medically- controlled clinical studies are desperately needed."
DHEA is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the adrenal glands that sit atop the kidneys. It helps regulate a number of the body's functions, including libido, mood and memory. The hormone also keeps tissues in the sex organs, bones, ovaries, breasts and muscles healthy. Often called the "mother hormone," DHEA regulates production of most female hormones, including the male hormone testosterone, which women have in lesser amounts than men. These hormone levels peak when women are in their 20s and 30s, Brizendine said, and then take a sharp drop as women approach menopause, diminishing by as much as 50 percent from what they were at age 25.
"The cells in your adrenal gland that make this hormone die off as we all age," Brizendine said. "The question is what does this have to do with aging and could we reverse or postpone some of the aging process by replacing these hormones?"
While many small pilot studies give some hints as to what the hormone does for the brain and body, the UCSF project is the first large DHEA trial in the U.S., Brizendine said. The study, called DHEA Effects on Brain Function: DHEA Effects on Memory and Mood in Healthy Humans, is also assessing the impact of prescribing the hormone to middle aged and older men. Investigators have enrolled 75 men and 30 women so far and would like to enroll an additional 30 women. These smaller studies have shown that replacing DHEA in middle aged men and women helped to improve mood, strength, memory, sex drive and other functions.
The seventh month study is open to postmenopausal women who are between the ages of 56 and 85 years old, who are not taking any hormones. All women will receive both DHEA and a placebo in what is called a cross over design. Side effects of high doses of DHEA for women can include increased aggressiveness, acne and facial hair.
Investigators hope to determine whether or not DHEA would be a good alternative hormone replacement therapy for menopausal and postmenopausal women. Standard HRT usually consists of estrogen plus progestin. "Lots of women don't like the way they feel on traditional hormone replacement therapy. They don't have the energy level they want or the libido they want," Brizendine said. "There are very few alternatives in women's health for natural hormone replacement therapy that are being carefully studied in clinical trials. This gives women the opportunity to see what effect DHEA has on them and helps move the field of women's health forward."
The Ellison Medical Foundation in Aging is funding the study. Results should be available by spring 2001.
For more information or to enroll, please call 415-476-7254.